Hero
by KatSin
Summary: My first songfic featuring Hero by Superchick. OOC situations with a side of extra angst. You have been warned. Chouji and Hinata centric with everyone thrown in. Rated M for dark, angsty content. You have been warned.


_**Hello all, Kitty here. **_

_**To my loyal fans, I know I've been slacking with BotB, but bear with me, real life keeps insisting on getting in the way and it is a very long involved chapter. Worry not, I'll work on it soon. In the mean time, Enjoy my first songfic ever. **_

_**Fair warning, there will be angst and severe oocness, Poetic License, people, don't like it, don't care.**_

_**And now, on we go!**_

* * *

Hero

_No one sits with him, he doesn't fit in,__  
__But we feel like we do when we make fun of him,__  
__'Cause you want to belong, do you go along?__  
__'Cause his pain is the price paid for you to belong__  
__It's not like you hate him or want him to die,__  
__But maybe he goes home and thinks suicide,__  
__Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side,__  
__Any kindness from you might have saved his life...__  
_

Chouji sat on an empty bench away from the eyes of the others, an unopened bag of chips in his hand. Ever since he was a kid, he had been different, looked down upon. The boys had never wanted to play with him, he was never very good at their ninja games, and he didn't like to be made fun of. He would never be ashamed of his powerhouse clan, he marveled at the unique abilities that only a member of the Akimichi family could wield, but even then he could see the looks that people gave his father behind his back, looks that were hardly pleasant. He didn't even want to think about the looks that girls gave him. He pretended to ignore it, that gossipy twittering that he heard when he passed by, usually including words like "Fat". He hated that word, so much. He threw the chips over the ledge, placing his now free hands over his round abdomen. They were right; he needed to go on a diet. He would change, even if it killed him.

A young woman strolled along, lost in thought as she made her way through the village streets. Then, without warning, something small and light landed on her head, making her wince as it fell forward onto the ground before her. She stopped just short of stepping on the bag, sighing with relief that she hadn't crushed it. She picked it up gingerly, spying the label and sighing with relief again; she didn't want to know what Chouji-san would do if she hurt his chips. She strolled up the stairs toward the platform, spying the back of the formidable Chuunin; her heart went out to him, with Shikamaru still mourning the loss of their sensei at Kurenai's side, Chouji seemed to be alone lot more often. Without a second thought, she approached him, pausing just beside him to offer the snack.

Chouji looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat, greeted with the sight of his snack held in a pair of small, soft hands attached to a familiar jacket, the visage of his new companion hidden by a long curtain of midnight silk. Recognition was instant. "Hinata?"

The stutter only served to confirm it. "G-Gomen nasai Ch-Chouji-san... I almost s-stepped on your ch-chips…" She glanced up, her lavender gaze sweeping over his countenance, her cheeks pinking as she relaxed visibly, seeing that he was not angry.

Chouji blinked, confused as to why she would look afraid of him. Then it occurred to him. 'Chips… of course… the fat Akimichi who's so protective of his chips…' He sighed then, thanking her halfheartedly before looking down. "It's okay Hinata… I don't need them… I'm going on a…" He wrinkled his nose, the expression more or less hidden. "A diet…" He sounded almost depressed about it. When he looked up again, the Hyuuga heir looked confused, and the young man almost chuckled. "Yes, we Akimichi **can** lose weight if we want to. We are just as capable of being attractive as any others." He looked down again, not wanting to show the pain in his eyes. "Ino… Ino liked me better thin anyway, after we went after Sasuke. I'm sure there might be a girl for me once I look more attractive."

_Heroes are made when you make a choice...__  
_

_You could be a hero,__  
__Heroes do what's right,__  
__You could be a hero,__  
__You might save a life,__  
__You could be a hero, you could join the fight,__  
__For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

The Hyuuga thought on all the times that she'd heard people speak of Chouji's family, commenting on their appearance; she'd heard quite a few cruel words tossed around in regard to Chouji's looks, especially from the blonde haired flower girl. She'd been invited into the discussions a number of times herself, the girls always asking her what **she** thought of the rotund Shinobi. Naturally, she said nothing; she would never be so cruel as to join such talks. Now, with the boy before her, she said the things she'd wanted to tell those girls herself. She set the chips on the bench beside him, her hands finding on another to poke together, her hands rising to be a few inches below her chin.

"Ano… You're j-just fine the w-way you are Ch-Chouji. Y-You're a g-great ninja… w-with amazing s-skill. You d-don't need to l-lose any w-weight for th-those girls… th-they should appreciate y-your heart and y-your s-skill as a n-ninja b-before they l-look at y-your appearance. They're sh-shallow… Y-you… you deserve b-better. Plus… I th-think you l-look just f-fine…" Her voice started to soften halfway through, her last words almost inaudible.

Chouji looked up, shock clear on his features. He'd never heard any girl accept the way he looked before, let alone compliment them. His gaze was drawn to her fidgeting hands, his dark eyes widening when his gaze ticked downward by a few degrees. Unbeknownst to Hinata, her sleeve had slid down a fraction, revealing a few fresh looking slices across her wrist. Before he could say anything, he heard her gasp and back away, her hands lowering instantly. Before his ears even registered the apology, she was gone, leaving the Akimichi confused.

_No one talks to her, she feels so alone,__  
__She's in too much pain to survive on her own,__  
__The hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife,__  
__She writes on her arm, wants to give up her life,__  
__Each day she goes on is a day that she is brave,__  
__Fighting the lie that giving up is the way,__  
__Each moment of courage her own life she saves,__  
__When she throws the pills out, a hero is made...__  
_  
Hinata had escaped the platform easily, and had not caught sight of her former classmate in the hours that followed, which relieved her immensely. That was a close call; she would have to be more careful from now on. She tugged her sleeve down idly, her lavender gaze watching the leaves in the tree above her. She sat alone in the forest, the sky darkening above the treetops.

She was tired, so tired, of this life that the fates had given her. Even though her relationship with Neji helped, her father still hated her, and her sister was cruel as ever. She knew that they would all be happier if she didn't exist, if she wasn't shaming the clan with every failure that she suffered. The marks on her arm were the punishment she forced on herself, the pain the price for her weakness. She refused to heal them, letting them fade on their own, constant reminders; fortunately for Hinata, her flesh heals quickly, and does not scar easily. The marks would be completely gone within a matter of weeks. She thought idly of making her family happy once and for all, murmuring to herself about how it would need to be accidental, she could not shame her family with her death as she had in life. It was her last chance to make her father proud.

She would miss her friends, especially her teammates, she didn't want to cause Kurenai any shame or grief, so she couldn't even tell them all goodbye, it would be too obvious that she was planning to leave them. She would miss them, so much. Her thoughts traveled briefly to Naruto, her long time, childhood crush. She wasn't sure he'd ever be the same; when Sasuke left, he just lost that spark of life. The years had worn down her feelings for him to merely a friendly admiration, not that anyone else knew that. It was hardly important; he wouldn't like her back either way. The realization had come with far less pain than she'd expected, and she had more or less made peace with that fact.

She looked to the kunai in her hand, twirling it in the fading light. After a few moments, she scowled, anger filling her. She would not shame her loved ones, she would not be a coward; not after all the times they'd believed in her, not after how far she'd grown. She threw the blade away, the dagger ending up hilt deep in a tree a few yards away. After a few moments she stood, headed back for the village, ready to face her family for the moment.

Chouji waited for her to be out of earshot before he strolled to the tree against which she'd sat. He remembered this area, remembered it well. It was here, at this same tree, that he'd been found after defeating that big sound ninja, so long ago when Sasuke first left the village. He touched the rough bark, running his hand over the old tree. He could still see the messages that his teammates carved into the bark.

He sought out the kunai next, smiling at how hard Hinata must have thrown it; he had to admit, the girl had some real spunk. He wondered if she knew that, and thought back on all the time's he'd been near the Hyuuga. Nope, don't think she'd figured that out yet. He crouched and pulled the dagger from the trunk, smiling to himself as he used it to carve his own little message for the young heir, putting the kunai back once he was done.

_Heroes are made when you make a choice...__  
_

_You could be a hero,__  
__Heroes do what's right,__  
__You could be a hero,__  
__You might save a life,__  
__You could be a hero, you could join the fight,__  
__For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

When Hinata returned to her little alcove in the forest a few weeks later, she was in somewhat higher spirits. She found her kunai, almost by accident, and crouched to pull it free; she fell backwards when she saw writing that had been clawed into the bark.

'**Thank you, Hinata, your kind words meant a lot to me.'**

She traced the words with her finger, forgetting the kunai completely. She stood and walked away from the dark memories without a second thought. That day, a powerful friendship was forged, each member helping the other through their troubles when such times arose.

_No one talks to him about how he lives,__  
__He thinks that the choices he makes are just his,__  
__Doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves,__  
__And others will follow the choices he's made,__  
__He lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide,__  
__His brother who wants to be him is just nine,__  
__He can do what he wants because it's his right,__  
__The choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life...__  
_

Everyone in Konoha remembered Itachi for his betrayal on the village, the murder of his clan. For a number of young Konoha Shinobi, he is the murderer of their friend and comrade, Sasuke. Itachi didn't kill his little brother in the way that he slaughtered his entire clan. No, his treachery against Sasuke was much worse. Following the advice in his brother's parting words; Sasuke hardened his heart, eventually betraying everyone that cared for him, as well as those that had fought for him.

Just like his brother, he left his village, his home, and even after Itachi's death, Sasuke followed in the footsteps of his oniisan. Itachi's choices would prove the ruination of the brother that he had ultimately hoped to save with his foolish lifestyle.

_For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

_You could be a hero,__  
__Heroes do what's right,__  
__You could be a hero,__  
__You might save a life,__  
__You could be a hero, you could join the fight,__  
__For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

They all tried to safe him; so many of Sasuke's former comrades searched endlessly for him, to help him, to save him. Even when he nearly killed Naruto, the young boy searched to save his best friend. It broke so many hearts that one of their own could turn so fully against them. Even as they grew older and the years passed, Sasuke's classmates searched, even when they had no chance of changing him back to the good; even when the orders were to kill the last remaining Uchiha, the boy's former comrades held on to hope.

_You could be a hero,__  
__Heroes do what's right,__  
__You could be a hero,__  
__You might save a life,__  
__You could be a hero, you could join the fight,__  
__For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

Many of these young people would grow to become great heroes of their generation, not because the battles they won, but because of the strength and courage in their hearts, their loyalty to one another, and their devotion to doing the right thing.

_You could be a hero,__  
__Heroes do what's right,__  
__You could be a hero,__  
__You might save a life,__  
__You could be a hero, you could join the fight,__  
__For what's right, for what's right, for what's right...__  
_

To this day, they hold hope that their comrade will rise from the darkness into which he has fallen and return to them. And until that day comes, they will search, ready to save him, even from himself.

* * *

_**The song: "Hero" belongs to Superchick**_

_**Gomen nasai – I'm sorry **__(anyone reading this that doesn't know that one by now intrigues me…)_

_**Now, I'm aware that the 1**__**st**__** and 2**__**nd**__** verses specifically speak of a certain character, where the 3**__**rd**__** verse, obviously directed at Itachi and his choices, and by relation their affect on his little brother, Sasuke, refers to the affect on everyone, and not just Sasuke. Don't be confused by that, it is simply the way I chose to tie the entire community into the song, because the words apply to Everyone.**_

**The moral of the story**_:__** … PM me with the answer **__(Don't review it, that's giving everyone else the answer)__** and I will give you a special treat. **_

_**As usual, if anyone has any good story ideas, let me know. **_

_**Review if you like, flame if you must, I don't really care either way.**_


End file.
